Rotary internal-combustion engine



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R. L. PANNELL ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 13. 1922 R. L. Ila/22020 July 5, 19

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ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 15. 1922 :s Sheets-Sheet 2 I I II 9 m 12L Pm!!! INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

. 1 927 R. 1.. PANNELL ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 13. 1922 3 Shoots-Sheetii ELI 442124 Qwuwtm plane 22 of Fig. 1.

4 Patented July 5, 1927.

warren STATES RICHARD LTPANNELIQ, or BIEMINGHAM, ALAB MA.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed April 13, 1922. Serial No. 552,383.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines of the rotary type. It includes a central rotary portion or rotor and an outer stationary portion or stator.

The object of my invention is to produce a rotary engine of the internal combustion type wherein are combined the advantages of the rotary type now sometimes used in steam or liquic engines, with the advantages 1 of the internal coinbustion'type of engine.

Another object is to provide eflicient means of compressing the fuel before combustion in the explosion chamber.

Another object is to provide means to maintain the proper close fit between the rotor blades and the walls of the combustion chamber. i

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more clearly understood from the more detailed description which follows:

Referring to the drawings herewith, wherein like numerals of reference are applied to like parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a central vertical section thru my improved type of engine showing some of the parts in elevation.

Figure 2 is a similar section taken on the Figures 3 to 6 inclusive are views of the propelling blades or vanes used with my invention, these blades being shown enlarged.

In the construction of my invention I provide a stationary outer housing A, properly called the stator, acting to house the interior rotary member or rotor, B. The outer housing A is supported upon two lateral up right standards C somewhat V-sliaped as seen from the side, as particularly disclosed in Fig. 1. At the upper end of the V'-shaped standard 0 is a central hub portion D having laterally extending horizontal yokes E thereon connecting at their outer ends to the walls of the housing or stator A as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The interior rotary member 13 is made up of two side plates 7 andS. These two plates are circular in shape and have a central laterally extending hub 10 bored out cen rall to provide a support for the ends of the shafts 9 and 9. The shafts 9 and 9 are secured within the openings in the'hubs by means of keys or pins 11, driven transversely through the hub and shaft. Said shafts are supported in the yokes D and the shaft 9 extends beyond'the said yoke and may have thereon a drive pulley 12 to transmit power from the engine to the driven machine. The side plates 7 and 8 arein this "embodiment, secured in spaced relation to each other by means of six separate pairs of spacing members 13 shown particularly in Figs. land 2. These spacing members comprise an innor sleeve 14 of the exact length necessary to spacethe plates the proper distance apart. This sleeve is mounted upon the outer'surface of a transverse bolt or pin 15 adapted to be tightened in place by nuts 16 on the outer ends thereof, thus holding the plates against said sleeves 14. Outside of each of the first sleeves 14 is a second sleeve 17 adapted to roll uponthe inner sleeve as a bushing and to thus furnish a bearing for the sliding propeller blades 18. Each pair of spacers 13 are themselves spaced apart a distance suflicient to allow the blade's18 to slide betilyeen the same in rollingcontact therewit I The blades 18 may be of any desired numher from 1 to 4 or 5, and I have shown three such blades extending diametrically across the rotor. The construction of these blades is shown in Figs. Ste 5 and also in Fig. 6, Each blade is of similar construction at its outer ends and the three several blades are adapted to interfit with each other ;the blade in Fig. 5 having a central narrow portion 19 tting within a central space 20in Fig. 4: and the blade in Fig. a being recessed centrally at 21 to fit within a central opening 2:2 in the blade shown inFig. 3. In this way it will be obvious that these plates may slide radially in the rotor for the required distance without interfering with each other. The outer ends of the blades are provided with a countersunk flattened recess 23 on each side edge to provide a seat for a packing member 24 fitting slidably therein and held resiliently outwardly by means of a leaf spring 25 shown in dotted lines in the several views. The spring 25 itself fits within a still deeper recess 26 insidethe packing member 24 so as to allow a housing for the spring in forcing the packing member outwardly.

The outer plate 7 is formed with an inner marginal flange 27 thereon extending'across the space between the two side plates and fitting againstthe oppositeplate This fitted. r k a dishedwashei: 47 secured thereto and, thus flange is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and is also shown in Fig. 1. Slots are provided through this flange or spacing member 2.7 to allow the sliding therethrouglrof the opposite ends of each of the blades 18 in an obvious manner. It also provides a closed inner lubricant chamber. Escape of lubricant from this chamber is obstructed by thickening the walls adjacent the blades as shown at 55.

The stator or stationary member of my device comprises a housing of general cylindrical outline having three separate sets of inlet and outlet ports and combustion chambers. Each separate set F is formed in the outer periphery of the housing. The wall of the housing A is spaced outwardly away "from the wall 27 to provide a chamber 28. One side wall 56 is a removable plate, secured to the rest of the housing by screws or other means as shown at 57 in Fig. 2. The rotor is adapted to rotate within the stator in a counter clockwise direction as shown in Figure 1. The forward end of each chamber 28 where the blade enters the said chamber has an opening 29 therein to receive a valve housing for the inlet valve adapted to fit therein. This valve is made up of a hollow plug or housing 30., the outer end being closed by a wall 31, said wall having a central thickened portion through which the valve stem is adapted to slide. The inner end of this valve housing is vformed into a valve seat. 33, and the valve 34, formed on the inner end of the valve stem 32, is held resiliently in this seat by means of an outer spiral spring 35. This spring bears at its inner end against the wall 31 of the housing and at its outer end against a dished washer 36 secured on the outer end of the valve stem.

The inner chamber 37 within the valve housing has a radial opening or port 38 therein for the inlet of the gas. The wall of the housing about this inlet is thicken-ed to form a cylinder 39 within which a piston 40 is adapted to slide. This cylinder 38 is of greater length than the piston and has in the sides thereo't a fuel inlet port 41 and an exhaust port 42. The inlet port is termed in the end of the cylinder adjacent the port 38 as shown in dotted lines in the drawing and the exhaust port 42 is formed. at a pointspaced slightly from the opposite end of the cylinder. The piston 40 has a piston rod 43 thereon, this rod having a shoulder 44 formed thereon. as shown, to limit the move ment of said rod outwardly. The outer end of the piston rod extends through a plug or nut 45 secured within a threaded seat 46 in the rear end of the cylinder housing. This plug 45 has a central opening therein through which the piston rod 43 is slidably The outer end of the piston, rod has 'wardly toward the furnishes a bearing for he outer end of a spring 48 bearing at its opposite end against the nut and acting to draw the piston outsaid plug. There is in the piston housing a chamber 49 through which the piston rod This chamber is connected by means of an interior opening 50 to the adjacent combustion chamber. Immediately beyond the valve 34 is a spark plug 51 of the usual construction connecting with the chamber 28, the spark from such plug being timed to explode the charge of gas at the proper moment.

The three sets of. combustion chambers are spaced equal distances apart. By so doing it will be noted that when the rotor is rotating in the direction shown by the arrov a blade will be bearing at one end against the thickened portion of the housing shown at 52 and the other end thereof will project into the combustion chamber 28. Thus it the end of the blade projecting within the combustion chamber is noted in Fig. 1 it will be seen that the blade has been advanced by the opposite wall into contact with the outer wall or housing A. The blade will fit closely within this chamber, the side packing members 24 bearing against the lateral walls of the housing as shown in Fig. 2. The space behind the blade will connect with the valve closed opening 33 and at this point this space behind the blade will have been filled with some mixture of explosive gas ready to be fired. The spark occurring at. this moment will act to explode the charge and to throw the blade forward in its direction of movement. The said charge will. expand behind the blade, other end of the combustion chamber. The wall of the chamber is so curved as to gradu' ally narrow in height and force the blade slidably inwardly. The opposite end of the blade will, as it moves, remain in contact with the outer wall of the housing at that point. The interior contour of the wall is so spaced as to permit the blade to move in dia metrical relation in contact with both walls. As the blade moves forward it will soon connect with the outlet opening 50 leading to the chamber 43. The spring at that moment will have drawn the piston from the position shown in Fig. 1 backwardly to close the outlet port 4-2 and open the inlet port 41. The exhaust will. therefore enter behind the piston and by its continued expansion will drive the piston forward into the position shown in Fig. 1, opening the outletport 42 and allowing the exhaust oi the burnt gas.

The chamber 37 is connected through port 41 with a valve closed opening 54- leading to the carburetor. This valve is retained in its seat by a spring 55 but Will be unseated by the suction of the piston 40 when the said piston-isdrawn baokwardly by the spring 4.8. This will. fill. the chamber 37 with gas lhd driving it toward the ready for compression on the advance of the piston 40 under the force of the exhaust gas.

While the end of the blade is moving away from the valve closed opening 33 the piston 40 will be forced forwardly by the exhaust from the preceding chamber and the con"- pression of that piston will force the valve 34; open and drive in a charge of gas through port 33 and open the valve 34 in an obvious manner. The spring will immediately reseat said valv after the blade has passed and the piston 40 withdrawn. The explosion behind the blade will also tend to close the valve. It should be noted that the piston 40 controlling the inlet and outlet ports 41 and 42 will be in the position shown in the drawing, only momentarily. The force of the exhaust will drive the piston forward into the position shown in Fig. l at the moment of the exhaust of the burnt gas. The spring 48 will immediately draw the piston back, opening the inlet port 4-1, and closing the exhaust port 42. The will then enter into the chamber 37 and tend to fill this space. hen the next exhaust occurs the force of the exhaust will drive the piston to inwardly compressing the gas within the chamber 37 opening the port 33 and causing the discharge of the compressed gas into the combustion chamber. The force of the explosion and action of the spring controlling the valve 84 will immediately throw it back into its seat and the piston will also be drawn immediately backward to close the exhaust port and to allow the entrance of more gas into the chamber 37. The timing of this action will be ob tained by the proper spacing of the inlet and outlet ports and also by the proper calibration of the springs 4E8. It will be noted of course that each of the blades of the rotor will. be in position to be acted upon by the explosion of the gas at the same moment of time, and each blade will receive three separate impulses tending to throw it forwardly on each rotation of the rotor. There will be, therefore, 18 explosions tending to impel the rotor forward at each complete rotation thereof.

This type of engine will therefore be light and powerful. Each blade will be acted upon by an explosion each time it passes an inlet port and the gas under compression will be forced into the combustion chamber at the proper time to be fired behind the blade and keep it rotating strongly in its forward direction. Great advantage will therefore be obtained in this type of internal combustion engine over the reciprocating type, wherein a separate suction and compression stroke is necessary in order to bring the gas behind the piston into the position to be fired. This will lead to great economy. The engine will be simple and cheap in con struction and powerful in its action,

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising a housing, a rotor mounted rotatably in said housing,a plurality of inter-fitting blades extending diametrically of the said rotor and bearing at both ends against the inner walls of said housing, combustion chambers between the rotor and the walls of said housing, each chamber having an exhaust passage leading therefrom, means operable through the exhaust of gas from behind said blades in one chamber to discharge gas into the next succeeding one of said chambers, means to fire said gas, said discharge means including a piston in said passage adapted to be moved by said exhaust to compress a charge ofgas in the manner described.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising an outer annular housing, a rotor rotatable in said housing, a plurality of combustion chambers in said housing, blades in said rotor slidable to and from said chambers, the blades being arranged to contact with the housing at both ends at all times, means to discharge gas into'said chambers behind said blades, means to fire said gas and means comprising a piston in the exhaust passage to compress a new charge actuated by the exhaust of the burnt gases.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising an outer stationary housing, an in nor cylindrical rotary member having a plurality of interfitting blades projecting radially from the periphery of said rotary member, combustion chambers in said station' ary housing into which said blades are adapted to fit, a piston valve closing the exhaust outlet adapted to be operated by the exhaust to compress gas in said housing, means including said valve and actuated by the exhaust from behind said blades to introduce said gas into said combustion chambers behind said blades and means to fire said gas.

4-. An internal combustion engine comprising a central rotor, an outer stator in which said rotor closely fits, a plurality of combustion chambers Within said stator, means to maintain a fluid tight closure between said rotor and stator, piston blades slidable in said rotor and adapted to contact with the walls of said stator, there being an exhaust passage from each chamber. a piston operated by the exhaust adapted to close the exhaust passage and to be moved to compress a charge of gas for the next succeeding chamber, a. fuel inlet controlled by said piston, a valve controlling the passage of fuel to said combustion chamber, and means to fire said gas,

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylindrical rotor having diametrical pro,

peller blades slid-able radially therein, an outer stator having combustion chambers into which said blades are adapted to fit, said chambers having valve-controlled openings therein, means to fire a charge of gas behind said blades, means whereby the exhaust of the burnt charge will move the exhaust Valve to compress gas for the next charge and draw ina new charge for compression thereafter, there being inlet ports 10 for said compressed gas to said'compression chamber.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature, this the 10th day of April, A. D. 1922. v

RICHARD L. PANNELL. 

